X (formerly Twitter)
The social network formerly called Twitter, now part of the Musk group of companies via xAI and SpaceX.
Bastrop, Texas, USA · founded 2006 · ads.x.com
What X (formerly Twitter) does
X is the real-time social network that was Twitter until Elon Musk bought it in 2022 and took it private. It sells promoted posts, video ads and trend takeovers. After the takeover many big advertisers paused spending over brand-safety concerns, and ad revenue fell sharply.
In 2025 X was folded into Musk's AI company xAI, which was in turn acquired by SpaceX in early 2026. X's ad business now sits inside that larger group alongside the Grok AI assistant.
How it makes money
Advertising sold by auction, plus X Premium subscriptions and data/API access fees.
Where it meets invalid traffic
Bots and fake accounts have long been the platform's biggest quality issue; it offers brand-safety tools and a limited set of third-party verification partners.
Products
- X Ads
- Promoted posts
- X Premium
- Amplify video